Adrien Brody made a bizarre moment during his speech on Sunday night when he paused halfway up the staircase to remove a piece of chewing gum from his mouth. In front of the audience and cameras, he then attempted to throw the gum to his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman, who caught it with ease.
The awkward moment was not scripted and has left many viewers wondering what inspired Brody’s unusual behavior. During his acceptance speech, which lasted over 5 minutes, Brody spoke about his journey back to Hollywood fame after a difficult period in his career. He emphasized the importance of perspective and gratitude for still doing work he loves.
Brody’s gum toss has been met with both praise and criticism on social media, but it also provided a lighthearted moment before his lengthy speech. The moment was not asked about during Brody’s backstage interview, leaving many questions unanswered about the type of gum used or why he chose to throw it rather than swallow it.
Brody’s win marks 22 years after he received the best actor award for his role in “The Pianist,” which was at just 29 years old. The speech highlighted the fragility of the acting profession and Brody’s own experience of struggling to capitalize on his success. Despite some initial backlash, Brody seized the spotlight with a re-creation of his iconic kiss with Halle Berry from the 2003 Oscars.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/style/adrien-brody-gum-best-actor-oscars-speech.html